Private bushfire shelters require building permits

The
Victorian Building Authority (VBA) is reminding Victorians considering building
a private bushfire shelter for their home that they must obtain a building
permit prior to installation.

The VBA's Director
of Technical and Regulation, Jarrod Edwards, said that in some instances,
councils may also require a planning permit.

"Private
bushfire shelters must comply with the performance requirements in the National Construction Code (NCC). Two private bushfire shelters
have been accredited and are recognised as meeting this performance requirement. All
non-accredited bushfire shelters must be thoroughly assessed for compliance
with the NCC as part of the building permit process," Mr Edwards said.

"Remember, a private bushfire shelter should only be an option of last resort
as part of a bushfire survival plan."

A licensed plumber working in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs has been convicted and fined $20,000 by the Frankston Magistrates’ Court for three breaches of the Building Act. Nathan Trewin, of NBT Plumbing, was fined $15,000 for working without a registration or licence in an appropriate class of plumbing work. He was also fined $5,000 for failing to provide compliance certificates for his work in Ringwood and Mooroolbark.

The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) met with industry and government stakeholders on Friday, 26 October 2018, to discuss the proposed process for establishing restricted classes of registration and licensing for routine servicing of fire protection equipment, so that those competently carrying out this critical work can continue with certainty.

The State election will be held on Saturday 24 November 2018. During the caretaker period (commencing 6pm, 30 October 2018) content will only be added to this website in line with the caretaker conventions.

The Victorian Building Authority has received a higher than expected number of company registration applications since 1 July 2018 and is implementing a range of improvements to reduce application processing times to two to three weeks.

Do you know what to do if your builder becomes insolvent while building or renovating your home? The VBA has published a step-by-step guide for consumers to help them navigate this challenging and stressful situation.

A statewide program to enhance the skills of plumbers who install and service gas heaters, ensuring households are not at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning, heads to Melbourne next week. Training sessions will be held in Melbourne on Monday, 27 August and Tuesday, 28 August.

The Victorian Building Authority has won the right in the High Court of Australia to appeal a decision of the Federal Court that overturned the Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s decision to permit character to be taken into account in relation to applications for registration under the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Commonwealth).

The Victorian Building Authority is giving careful and serious consideration to the Coroner’s findings and recommendations into the death of Ms Sonia Sofianopoulos. The Coroner has recommended the VBA consult with relevant stakeholders and review the requirements for the provisions of Certificates of Compliance to the extent that they relate to the servicing, testing and maintenance of open-flue gas heaters. The VBA will act on the Coroner’s recommendations.